New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-01-09
WONG THE CHURCHES.
, Avn uIsCUssION-sALlEN fo'NA'
NEWS AND ,Tn 1rRE AND THERE.

AN sCusSION-sALlENI folNi"
NEWS n Hc UT HERE AND THERE.
TlCnID a.. death Of Bishop Potter may
1t is possip'o '" 49, ,u.stion of dividing the Ep's-
bring to the iron' III This question has indeed
eopai Doo0eo a. nriyate by tew OF the o'erss ~.
reen uiS'"' The present diocese e""ra0oo -
some timo p az, siaes of the river up 70 Cou"''''
counties Oh ~. Growth Of the Church has oeen ~
County! 'pn srrtory during the past few years .n"'
rap,u -,r,on of many the tine has como io'
"a churches. 1t is said, ieei 'ha' ~ 70 .,,.+
LIZ ,ronossible for the bishop 70 give nv. .or.
..onal oversight and attention wh'en oe 49,. Thor
- i've them and which they require y. ~"
h.nd It Is probably the opinion OF many stat.s
e. this city that the metropolis OF 'n0 rns s,o ~ a
..h, N have a bishop of its own Inc sA1 " ..
cak"' 49,, >, IN measured by the square mics "
"'o.o. -. b., the number OF its churches ana tue
0on'" r.r;etv of ito church lite judged I'D 'u'S
a,,r ri yew- York alone would be one Oh 'h'
-. nd most important dioceses IN the ""'''
,nn,rv with work enough 10 tax all INC Oh.
an. most active Bishop. II new Gocese e"o
erected the sec city would be either r
Newburg. both Of which are very auAy y, nr AIN.
,.nor I, Ia not rkely that there woula DC any u'".
.n,tv about obtaining Episcopal iuHu .,osod
80, =. Oh. Eoiscopal churches in the proposes
s,s.o.. A.. numerous and wealthy. lnero "'o -
.,.o largo number OF cergymen any vi. 49,
would make good Bishop. Inc woo,e quo'" "..,o,r
aver. IL IN very Inchoate state, ana " !"
sov the authorities Of the diocese would reG"ru I've
aTbe British Weekly has recently maze i'"s 49,.
..r.r. of tho churches OF London ana INC '"
,ncitcd aindicate," In the words Oh '"' o"
certain failure Of religious organizations y" Ae0p
mid on the metropolis, and suggest very 'o,'
alterations as to the future Of religion. VII s"
Sunday morning 265, 577 persons at'ehueu saoa
49, rs,.n,isbed Church. 172, 523 persons at'enoea
'.1 n..,..t.rt churches. while 10000 persons
.,,endsd Roman Catholic churches. These NUMBERS
49,. ,.rardsd A very small tor city OF the size %
I..aar md a clergvnan who writes on the suoJoc'
a. The Daily News" goes far as to say tna' LII HE
or;n;.n not more than one man III ten III ion
attends any place Of worship
e.w DAVIS MOO the Rev. Brooke Herford, Of Boston,
-,.d that in his opinion about halt the people in this
oonotrv DO not attend any church There are 'noeea
-. oaraf,l obseryers who estimate the NUMBER Oh
80, church 0oers at q much larger number 10 reply
a. ali sucb statements the churches would prooaoy
v that all estimates OF this kind are misleading anu
that there Is tendency in many quarters 10 make out
A. bad o case tor religion as possible Doup.'eSs
that IL 40 but nevertheless 1t In fact patent 10 AZ
that large percentage tnv outside Of the
pale Of Christianity. Either because OF unoenei OF NJ
fndincrencs they live and die without accepting os
tbsmselves the teachings OF the Church That eucn
large numbers OF people, many OF them enurely
respectabe and moral In their lives, should reject
Christianity IN q fproessedly Christian land ought 10
be an anomalous circumstance 1t Is for the churches
TO say why II Is not
The Rev. DR.. George F. Pentecost, of Brooklyn.
writes an article for The Independent, in which he
aims to prove that the OF prayer as an institution
oucbt TO tie abolished The reasons which he gives LOT
this conclusion are that the spiritual lie has oeeh
taken out OF the institution by excess OF red tape IN
arranging its topics Moreover 1t has come &c ce the
fashion to defer all aggressive work until the week Vi
nrsver Thus the churches stand still during inc
months OF September, October, November and pecem-
Ter or devote themselves fairs or other semisecuar
methods OF work. All this gives TO the people the u-
preston that the week of prayer about the only time
when il is right and proper to attend 10 spiritual
matIers we have done With the week OF prayer.
savs DR. Pentecost, awhat we have practically done
with the Lords Day which have made the one day
nj the week In which we will preach the Gospel
Instead of making it an especial day Tor extraordinary
activity IN worship and service. have made II the
role and solitary da,. All other days we keep the
shurches Dramatically sealed. and not one preacher OF
the GOSPEL out OF a hundred breaches the WORD
10 sinners except on thai day. Having yielded SIX
DAYS in the week TO inactivity, we are now IN danger
nj Welding 6fty-one weeks in the year 10 spiritual
idleness" Dr. Pentecost we'll known as successful
pastor and gest and his attitude on this question
will create much comment